


Just This Once

by Konpeki_no_Sora



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Hoshi Meguri (IDOLiSH7), Gen, Other characters are mentioned briefly, War, though the war part is only mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:01:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27684623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Konpeki_no_Sora/pseuds/Konpeki_no_Sora
Summary: With Alba’s lantern festival coming soon, Coda receives the invitations and is about to inform Fang about the news. He also ponders how the events expanded his perspective, especially the bond he shared with Bestia’s king.Takes place several years after the canon events in the event story (though a little before Hope’s phone call with Coda in the epilogue).
Relationships: Coda & Fang (IDOLiSH7)
Kudos: 3
Collections: Celestial Skies Zine





	Just This Once

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for the [Celestial Skies Zine](https://twitter.com/ainanazines/status/1330661986498011136), which is now released to the public. Check it out to see more of the amazing one-shots and artworks compiled there. Hoshimeguri's definitely my favorite Ichiban Kuji set story-wise and the cards there look marvelous.
> 
> Milou illustrated the accompaniment art to this story (link to come later).
> 
>  **Extra note:** On the prospect of alcohol and wine, best that you are at legal age before you can enjoy them. And drink responsibly.

“Whoosh. And it’s done.”

Coda made sure that his stall in Port Dadan was tidied up and locked securely after tallying the numbers and counting the money. The last thing he wanted was to have his own wares stolen. The air around the marketplace, especially during late afternoon, was breezy with an icy touch. Coda wouldn’t mind that as long as the wind wouldn’t be so strong that his turban flew away. Even with his business closing for the day, the stalls that were still open were abuzz with activity and the businesses opening late at night would serve as an excuse for the port to remain a lively place at any time of the day.

“Captain! There you are,” one of his employees dashed towards Coda. The raven-haired male frowned because informal greetings would suffice. But old habits were hard to break.

“What is it this time?” he asked. He hoped that it would be something of utmost importance. 

“These two envelopes came,” the employee handed him the items, the back of each one scrawled with neat white ink calligraphy. One for him, another for Fang, Bestia’s current king. The color was a deep violet, which sparked Coda’s visual recognition. It was because the color reminded him of his childhood friend. Coda took the envelopes almost immediately upon instinctual eagerness. 

“Sir?” The employee was now curious on what led him to react like that. It is only when that person spoke that Coda caught himself and cleared his throat.

“Pardon me. I shall check the details right away,” the Burst Roar captain replied. He pried off the red wax seal that secured the flap before opening the envelope. The card inside was pitch black, symbolizing Alba’s darkness which was guided by the gemstones’ light. He pulled out the card and read what’s inside verbally with his steady tone.

_“You are cordially invited to the upcoming lantern festival…”_

Coda’s lips stretched into a tiny smile as he faced his employee. “Thank you. I will inform him as soon as possible.”

* * *

The Bestian Palace was rebuilt a long time ago, after the place was burned down during the conflict to stop Carnelian’s scheme. Coda was fond of the library section of the palace, being the bibliophile that he was. But that would have to wait till later after the task of delivering the envelope to the king was done. One benefit of the conflict was about opening his eyes to more about what the other planets have in store, including the history and culture.

Maybe the secrets to Shinkai’s flute skills would be included, but they would be best kept confidential.

The throne room would be the best bet to see the king. Fang was definitely the one who would always like to tag along with Coda, but there were responsibilities that the king shouldn’t avoid. Coda was about to knock on the frame of the massive double doors when one of them creaked, signifying the arrival of the brunet king. Golden orbs took in the sight of the raven-haired boy and the king grinned and ruffled his turban-clad head.

“Hey, I was about to ask you about something,” Fang said. Coda pouted, unimpressed by the childish treatment. He gently nudged the king’s hand away. He straightened his ruffled turban; despite the fact that he was getting a tad used to having his head caressed like that, he still didn’t want his animal ears exposed. That incident when he first met Hope was a crucial reason for that demeanor.

“What is it that you want to inquire about?” Coda asked once he was done with the adjustments.

“It is mainly about a rare find,” Fang’s index finger pointed to an enormous bottle on the table. Local wine, made out of a finest selection of jungle fruits and fermented a few years before consumption. 

Coda’s eyes dilated in astonishment. “If you are asking about the price, it is more expensive than the common ones available in the market, mainly because of the fermentation process. You may have to sell a few trinkets to buy that wine.”

“And this will be my first time tasting it. With everything that happened during the incident, there was a delay in the production,” the soles of Fang’s boots clicked against the floor as he walked towards the bottle. “Maybe you shall give it a try yourself, Coda. You have grown up a bit,” his grin was cheeky.

That sight was enough for Coda to instinctually back away, resulting in an instant decline. “Definitely not! I shouldn’t ingest alcohol since I still have work tomorrow!”

“Just one glass won’t hurt…” the brunet attempted at a compromise. 

The king had a point that the wine was a rare delicacy. And there were some folks asking the Burst Roar captain to take a break every once in a while. Coda was used to being a workaholic since the recovery of Bestia after the great fire was no joke.

_Oh well… Just this once._

“Fine. One glass, then that’s it.”

* * *

“Here. This is an invitation for the upcoming lantern festival,” Coda handed the unopened envelope to Fang once the two were on the couch of the king’s private chambers, each of them having a cup full of wine in one hand. The courtroom wasn’t a suitable confluence point to consume alcohol, after all. 

Fang accepted the invitation and inspected the handwriting at the back of the envelope. “Ah, it has been a while since we last saw Carnelian. Maybe we shall have another game of chess with the cute crystal rabbit pieces?” He was referring to the trip to the countryside where the former king was currently residing with Lazu by his side. If anything, the cost of buying a chess set with those rabbits may have been an arm and a leg (or even two) based on labor and the gemstones’ rarity.

Coda smiled; the crystal rabbit was a symbol of friendship between himself and the ginger-haired male. It was unfortunate that Carnelian’s father was hell bent on bringing Eterno to its knees with Alba climbing to the top, even at the cost of thousands of lives. It was one reason why the bond was torn asunder with almost no hope for reconciliation. It may not be the same as losing Coda’s dad and having Fang as his family figure, but still…

“It all depends if we still have time,” Coda replied. He watched Fang bring the rim of his cup to his lips to savor the wine. The king let out a sigh of satisfaction, inducing a curious gaze from the younger boy.

“This wine is piquantly delectable. Your turn to taste,” Fang said. Coda gazed at the surface of the liquid for a moment before he gave in and took a small sip. His mouth parted as the taste invaded his tongue. The king was correct about the taste being exquisite. Before delving deeper into the treat, though, the topic was switched.

“Perhaps, Hope might also be there during the lantern festival. But unfortunately, he is a king and having to rebuild the planet is still a long road ahead of him,” Coda took another sip. Hope would have to get used to his growing responsibility as a ruler. At least the prospect of a fateful reunion with Curse after seeing him again during the struggle in Mistero served as a motivation to persevere. Noticing his parental figure ascend towards the sky and separate the fragments after Carnelian fused them together with his wish was heartbreaking. 

But still, the talk with Vega after the guardian finally rose from his slumber was an inspiring message. Until that fated day would come for Hope, the new king must resume the grind. 

“Though I started to like Erin a bit more regarding his mischief, especially when it’s against Orion,” Fang grinned, took a swig of his cup and exhaled before refilling it. “During their next visit here, shall we send some fruits for them to sample and taste?”

“Knowing Erin, the sampling session may turn into a food fight, as usual,” Coda drank with a pout. Imagining Erin smooshing those delectable pieces close to his king may be amusing, but unfortunately, it was mostly on Orion’s expense. Plus, it was a waste and the mess would be a pain to tidy up. “In the case of Sirena, though, we may hear a new song from Shinkai soon.”

As Sirena came out of its reclusion, Eterno became one of the luckiest planets to witness the musician’s melodic calls. Shinkai’s prophecies were cryptic, laden with vague descriptions of what was to come, but his expertise with the flute was not to be trifled with. 

“So, what can you imagine yourself doing ten years from now? Do you believe that you can be the next king?” Fang’s question was out of the blue as he gazed at the night sky, stars twinkling. His cheeks were now a faint pink, mainly because of the alcohol.

“...For now, I am content with my current position as Burst Roar’s new captain,” Coda’s reply came quick. His eyelids fluttered shut for a few seconds before his focus shifted to that same sky, the taste of the beverage still fresh in his mouth.

“You seem to enjoy the wine so much that you emptied it. Shall I refill your cup?”

Coda chuckled after staring at the empty cup. Guilty as charged. Loosening things up may not be as bad as he thought it would be.

“Just this once.”

**Author's Note:**

> Indeed, writing for the Bestia duo was a fun experience. Kudos to the zine mods for giving me such an opportunity.
> 
> On another note, La Danse Macabre is coming soon and the AU details so far are good stuff. Can't wait for the rest.
> 
> My Twitter is here if you wanna check out more about my shenanigans: @divergent_idol


End file.
